Poll

Opinion

Unless something truly amazing happens to prevent it, in a very few days the worst possible candidate will take the oath of office as president of the united states. Note the small-case letters: D.T. will not dignify the office, and the united states — surprise — isn’t so united.

HIGH ABOVE THE STEGOSAURUS LOT — On a chilly and snowy Sunday, no birds of prey are visible from the raptor observation area along the trail, and no hikers or bikers pass by. To the south, clouds close in on the Rooney Valley, and throughout the gray landscape a sense of foreboding looms.

With the new year, an election facing three members of the Jefferson County school board in November, and the failure of the bond and mill request in 2016, it’s time for the current board to take stock.

This board, all five members, won their seats based on a call for increased transparency but has recently violated transparency principles in its handling of the employment of the current superintendent. It promised outreach to the community but received a resounding “you didn’t listen to us” message from citizens when the bond and mill went down.

When my sister and I were young, we loved the 1960s space opera “Lost in Space.” And, without a doubt, our favorite episode involved various members of the wandering Robinson family silently disappearing from the Jupiter 2 one at a time, in apparent defiance of the laws of physics.

In fact, every member of the crew vanished until just two remained — and their low-tech solution as the ship careened through the galaxy at light speed was to tie themselves together with a length of rope. Then, one turned a corner, and the rope went slack.

Several weeks ago a group of World War II veterans quietly gathered in Atlanta for what in all likelihood would be their final reunion. All in their 90s, they were the last remnant of a group of American volunteers that secretly traveled overseas in 1941 to fly combat missions against a brutal Japanese offensive in Asia. Their heroic exploits earned them the nickname “Flying Tigers.” To this day the Chinese speak of them in reverent tones, and few Flying Tigers were more revered than the spirited squadron leader known as Scarsdale Jack.

We are writing on Wednesday, Nov. 9. We are very happy. The candidate we supported for almost two years is now president-elect. We are part of the “common folk.” We knew people wanted a better economy, more opportunities, not more elitism, not more racism or gender bias.

In the wake of last week’s earth-shattering national election with implications that will likely take years to completely understand, Colorado’s reputation as one of the nation’s most purple states was reinforced.

At least once every four years on average, our school board asks for more money. The exception was the school board that was recently recalled. They were doing all they promised.

They had planned budgeting for a new school and other needs deemed necessary to our school system — all this without floating a bond and without asking for a tax increase. How did they do it? By studying the budget and making good decisions, so they could do all that was necessary.

It is both my privilege and honor to support Pete Weir for re-election as Jeffco’s district attorney. I first met Pete in the darkest days following Jessica Ridgeway’s kidnapping and homicide, and I witnessed first hand Pete’s leadership and compassion, as well as his unwavering resolve in the pursuit of justice for Jessica.

Predicting the presidential election outcome seems to be like trying to predict next month’s weather … with so many unknowns, flipping a coin might be the best process.

I found a university professor named Allen Lichtman who seemed to have a great fact-based, history-authenticated methodology for predicting the next president. I was really buying into his prediction, which, by the way, was that Trump will win. Then, he finished with a disclaimer saying that because Trump is Trump, his methodology might not work.

Upon resigning from the Friars Club, Groucho Marx famously said, “I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.” That reasoning seems to be consistent with two ballot measures before us this fall concerning primary elections.

Not only will this move cost taxpayers $70 million, but research consistently shows that sixth-graders’ performance does not improve when moved to middle school. Sixth-graders will lose an entire year of literacy programs. Furthermore, sixth-graders in middle schools have more disciplinary actions; again, this is not good for students.

My home is in Morrison. I absolutely love living here and greatly appreciate the amazing views, the teeming wildlife and the beautiful open spaces. I was born and raised here on the Front Range, and feel very fortunate to be able to call Colorado my home. I would guess that you feel just as fortunate and, like me, feel very protective of our wonderful community.

The political conventions are over. The final television images showed convention workers popping the red, white and blue balloons and sweeping them away. The candidates nominated in Cleveland and Philadelphia are the most unpopular in modern times, and perhaps in the history of our country.

For many years prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, I was an active and vocal proponent of universal health care. It always seemed to me that socializing our health risks worked better when everyone was part of the pool. I supported requirements at both the state and federal levels for people to have health insurance.